Voices from the Field: Raspberries
Live from the field, I bring you an inside exclusive interview with the crew, all about everyone’s summer favorite… the RASPBERRY.
Mermaid Man: My favorite raspberry memory is throwing them, to try to hit people on the head with overripe berries.
Baba Yaga: The under-ripe ones would be a little too hard, right?
Butternut: Ooh yeah. The splat is what you’re looking for.
Mermaid Man: And there was that bird’s nest last year in the raspberries. I liked that.
Minotaur: Roscoe (the other raspberry patch) has a bird’s nest this year!
Me: Minotaur, what do raspberries feel like?
Minotaur: Soft, velvety. Good, emotionally.
Me: What does a raspberry mean to you, Butternut?
Butternut (a 3rd season raspberry picker): A raspberry, you know, it means the patterns of farming are still intact. It is the same thing year after year. It is a beacon of consistency in a sea of inconsistency… an inconsisten-sea.
(Then she threw a raspberry at my shoulder. I knew our time together was done. Mermaid Man then threw one at my head, to emphasize that point. I walked down the row to talk to our newest crew member, Phoenix, who just started working yesterday!)
Me: This is your first raspberry harvest, so what are your first impressions?
Phoenix: They’re not bad. The leaves are kind of irritating. And it’s annoying when the ripe ones just fall off and roll around. Then there are the weird ones that just kind of crumble.
(I tracked down the rest of the crew to get their thoughts)
Jambalaya (our most seasoned raspberry picker, now on his 4th summer): Raspberries have taught me patience. They make me excited for the start of summer, and I’m lucky I get to eat them.
Rougarou: They are sweet, tart, ripe. They feel like a wonderful gift to the world, ready to be eaten.
Baba Yaga: Raspberries definitely mean summer and jam. When I’m picking, I’m so focused that my mind wanders because it’s a very zen activity… you’re just looking for a little red treasure.
Stingray (who spends all his time these days on the tractor): I miss getting sick on them, and then thinking you can keep eating more. Feeling sick, while still eating them.
Minotaur: Raspberries are full of sweet seeds that feed your needs.
I’ve been your host, Flycatcher. Stay tuned next time for more words from the raspberry patch.
-Amy